Business Psychology Schools

Do you have the desire to work in a business environment to help improve the overall efficiency of a company’s employees? Are you intrigued by how employees within a corporation interact with one another? Do you find yourself wondering if certain psychological techniques or practices could provide a company with the tools it would need to operate more effectively? If these are questions you answered yes to, then you may find that a degree in business psychology would suit you perfectly.

With your master’s degree in business psychology you will be formally trained in the areas of psychology and business management, which will allow you to prepare human resources managers. As a business psychologist you will spend the majority of your time studying the human behavior that exists within the complex makeup of business organizations. You may be responsible for providing training to new employees or training employees on new company policies or procedures, for conducting research pertinent to the company’s employees and their efficiency, and examining organizational structures and how they function. You may even be expected to delve into how individual employees, clients, or personnel relate to a business and its makeup.

It is common for colleges and universities to offer business psychology programs starting at the bachelor’s degree level. You may even find some learning institutions that offer master’s level degrees or doctor of psychology degrees in the area of business psychology. However, it is very common for schools to offer business psychology as an emphasis area within a psychology degree program. Should you decide to pursue your graduate degree in business psychology you will likely need to have an educational background in psychology in order to be admitted into a college’s graduate program. You may also find that some colleges or universities offer certificate programs that are relative to the business psychology field. Should you pursue this educational path you will likely need to have your undergraduate degree, but it does not necessarily have to be in a psychology related field of study.

Keep in mind, certificate programs are often designed to allow people who work in a related profession to transition into a business psychology field or to gain a more thorough understanding of the subject matter that they deal with on a daily basis. As you work to become a business psychologist you will be learning about both psychology related course work and business related course work. For instance, you will likely be required to complete classes such as behavioral science, mental health in the workplace, business law, organizational behavior, marketing principles, psychotherapy, and counseling.

Depending upon the learning institution you choose to attend you may also study change management, research methods, team development, and social psychology. Keep in mind, the required course work will teach you what you need to know about the theories of psychology, about treatment methods that can be applied to employees, and about organizational behavior. You may also be required to complete a dissertation or a thesis and a practicum or an internship.

Once you have completed the degree program requirements you will be eligible to seek employment in any field or industry that combines business practices with human knowledge and understanding. For instance, you could become employed as an insurance claims adjustor, as a human resources officer, as a general manager, a communications specialist, an industrial counselor, a sales associate, or in the finance or research departments of a large company. Depending upon the level of your educational degree you could also work as a consultant or you could teach prospective psychology students in the educational world.